admin, Author at Mothering in the Middle

A view of the other side – Midlife Fatherhood – excerpts from “Who’s broody now?” An article from The Guardian (UK)

by Andy Beckett (5/3/2006)

Conversations about when to start having children are not, broadly speaking, a male specialty. Conversations initiated by men about the effect of age on male fertility may be even more of a rarity. “The age thing?” says Mark, a middle-aged father who spent his 30s and 40s vaguely wanting children but working and travelling and developing complicated interests instead. He pauses, slightly puzzled at the question. “I’ve never really thought about it.” Simon, a recent first-time father of similar age, worried a little more about reproductive biology in his 30s. But not about his own: “Always the consideration was my girlfriend’s biological clock,” he says. “You just think you can be Charlie Chaplin if necessary, and have a baby you’re too old to pick up.” […]

Surrogacy: Myths and Realities

by Karen Synesiou

MYTH: The surrogate mother will keep my baby.
REALITY In the history of surrogacy in the USA there have been 65 cases documented of a couple not accepting their child. There have been 26 surrogate mothers that are recorded as having tried to change their mind over relinquishment. Surrogate mothers and their husbands are as much afraid of you not taking your child as you are afraid of them not giving it you.
REALITY There are reportedly over 22,000 documented surrogacy cases, less than 0.001% have resulted in disputes over relinquishment.
REALITY A surrogate mother can another have child of her own; she does not want yours. […]

Just Grateful to be Here

Andrea Lynn

Almost by definition, women who decide to pursue motherhood while single – single mothers by choice – are nearly always midlife mothers. For most of us, it took a few years of being busy, getting an education, finding a career, excelling, traveling, reading, hiking, having a great life, before we started to think about whether the next step – marriage and children – was going to happen. And a few more years to worry that it wasn’t happening. And maybe a year or two to realize it wasn’t going to happen. And then, surprised that we had gotten so old, we decided that just because the marriage part wasn’t going to happen didn’t mean we couldn’t be mothers. Add a year or two of fertility treatments or adoption waiting lists, and presto, single mothers by choice find themselves to be…midlife mothers. […]

My Debunking of Myths Regarding Teens in Foster Care

by Joanie Siegel

Myth: Children do not want parents who are culturally or racially different.
Fact: A child/teen wants a parent, a person they can lean on and who will be there, no matter what. As long as their race and ethnicity is respected and honored, most children don’t care who their parents are. […]

8 Myths and Realities About Adoption, from Adoptive Families magazine

from Adoptive Families

FACTS

As of the 2000 Census, there were 1.5 million children under age 18 in America who joined their families through adoption. This figure represents 2% of all children in the U.S.
In the U.S., there are 5 million people today who were adopted. More than 100,000 children are adopted each year.
65% of all Americans have a personal connection to adoption and view it favorably […]

Preparing for the Inevitable Question

by Cheli English-Figaro

Up until that moment, it had been a great day. At 4:45 a.m. my feet hit the floor and by 6:45 a.m. I had already logged two very productive hours on my work-at-home job before waking my children. Working before dawn was particularly critical that day because while school was in session for my two older children, preschool was closed. Caroline, who had just turned five, would be underfoot all day so it was unlikely that I would be able to squeeze in any additional work. So, with my most time-sensitive assignments completed, I put on my “full-time mommy hat” and started on my way. […]

Over 40 Mom Myths Dispelled by an Over 40 Mom

by Cynthia Wilson James

Even with popular lists such as Hot celebrity moms over 40 and famous moms over 40, which usually include former Alaska governor and former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, singer Sheryl Crow, actresses Vanessa Williams, Halle Berry and Sarah Jessica Parker, there are lingering myths, especially about first-time moms over 35. If you are a first time mom over 40 or are considering motherhood over 40, take comfort. The myths may linger but they are far from being truths. […]

It’s Down Syndrome Awareness Month – Can We Have Some Dignity to Go With That?

by Laura Sussely - Pope

The month of October, Down syndrome month, is a particularly good time to bring awareness to the fact that the “r” word (retard) is exceedingly hurtful. For those who don’t realize how hurtful it is, many of us point it out as nicely as we can. And, if we are lucky, the offending party apologizes and tries not to do it again. We are not, for the most part, an unforgiving bunch. We recognize that most people use it with no malice or forethought. In daily conversation, it has become a synonym for “stupid” or “silly” or “ridiculous.” […]

Myths and Truths about Down syndrome from the National Down Syndrome Society

From the National Down Syndrome Society

Myth: Down syndrome is a rare genetic disorder.
Truth: Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring genetic condition. One in every 733 live births is a child with Down syndrome, representing approximately 5,000 births per year in the United States alone. Today, more than 400,000 people in the United States have Down syndrome. […]

Later Moms: Rocking the Cradle and the World

by Elizabeth Gregory

We tend to think of later motherhood in personal terms – often focusing on the story of each woman’s journey to having kids at what is still sometimes considered an advanced age. But when all these personal choices are added together, they have enormous ripple effects, unraveling the old social fabric and moving us all toward a very different tomorrow. […]

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